“What if” thoughts are like bunnies- they reproduce really fast. It looks something like this:
- What if the market gets worse?
- What if I don't make enough money to pay bills?
- What if I lose my home?
- What if I was only successful because of the low rates?
- What if I am a fraud?
- What if, what if, what if… on and on.
The tricky thing about “What if” thoughts is in the moment of having them, they can look practical and worthy of consideration. As if thinking about the worst-case scenario is the same as planning for the future. It's not.
These type of “What if” thoughts serve only one purpose - to scare the hell out of ourselves. It stems from the false belief that fear is a good motivator and will inspire action. The opposite is in fact true. Fear leads to an amygdala response, (fight, flight, or freeze) which is the worst state of mind for optimum performance. When the amygdala is engaged, resources such as blood and oxygen are being diverted to the areas of the brain and body necessary for survival and away from nonessential areas such as creative thinking, fine motor skills, etc. This state of mind is referred to as an amygdala hijack.
When you realize you are in survival mode whether from a “what if” attack or from any other scary thought it is helpful to first notice it without adding any story or reasons or explanations. Noticing looks something like, “Oh wow, I'm believing my thoughts right now,” or “I'm using my imagination in an unhelpful way.”
Once you've done that, simply look at the situation or circumstances as objectively as possible. Ask yourself, “what are the facts?” Hint: a fact is what is actually happening or happened without any story or reasons; things you would see and hear on a video recording.
When you become present to the facts without anything added there's just stuff to do or not do. Your greatest asset - your inner genius - is unleashed and new innovative solutions are born. In this space, “What if” becomes a creative tool for breakthrough results by using your imagination in the best possible way. What looked unsolvable becomes solvable. I have seen this in action countless times in my own life and in the lives of my clients. It's truly remarkable when your innate creativity is let loose.
It truly is up to you whether you use your thoughts as a tool or a weapon. Choose wisely.
